Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/39

Rh camp we understood that an accident had happened. In one of the wagons a small cask of powder had, for some cause or other, taken fire, and had scattered the contents of the wagon over the plain. It was fortunate that nobody was near enough to be injured seriously, and that the scattered goods were mostly articles of hardware; the loss was therefore not so important. Towards evening we started again, and went about 10 miles before we camped, without water.

August 3.–Started early, and reached within six miles Alamos, a place where sometimes a water-pool is found, but which was now perfectly dry, and went four miles farther before we nooned, without water. Our camp was on a hill, near a prairie grave, distinguished by a cross. The grass was tolerable, but our animals were too thirsty to eat. After some hours rest, we started again and went 16 miles, as far as Barilla, another camping place, where we had the good fortune to find, for the first time, some stagnant water, sufficient to water our animals. The eastern mountains send here some spurs into the plain. The soil is good and firm, and, with more water, would no doubt become very productive.

August 4.—Travelled in the morning but five miles, and halted, because we found another water-pool with stagnant water, and good grass. In the afternoon we went about 18 miles, and encamped without water.

August 5.–This morning, at last, after having travelled eight miles, we reached the river once more. The camping place, where we struck it, is called Robledo. The country here looks very mountainous. The eastern mountain chain has a very broken, pointed, basaltic appearance, whence they are called Organon mountains. Opposite our camp, too, on the right bank of the river, steep mountains rise. From here to Doñana, the first small town again, it is about 12 miles. Before reaching Doñana, I met on the road with the largest cactus of the kind that I have ever seen. It was an oval Echino cactus, with enormous fishhook-like prickles, measuring in height four feet, and in the largest circumference six feet eight inches. It had yellow flowers, and at the same time seed, both of which I took along with some of the ribs; but I really felt sorry that its size and weight prevented me from carrying the whole of this exquisite specimen with me. Dr. Engelmann, perceiving that it was a new, undescribed species, has done me the honor to call it after my name.

August 6.–Made in the forenoon five miles, in the afternoon three miles. Night camp near river.

August 7.–This morning Mr. Wiek, a merchant from Chihuahua, and myself, started ahead of the caravan, to reach el Paso some days before it. We took our small wagons along; went that morning 15 miles, and halted about noon, near the river.

In the afternoon we started again; and travelling through the night, we made 28 miles more, and hailed near the "upper crossing of the Rio del